Monday, December 04, 2006

Papua New Guinea's rich and colorful history is littered with the names of likewise gaudy characters that have carved a niche for themselves.

Few, however, have made more of an impact than the flamboyant and swashbuckling Errol Flynn.

With the discovery of very good paying gold in 1926 at Edie Creek above Wau - six days walk from Salamaua - a gold rush of massive proportions started, not only from Australia but from beyond.

With the major discovery of gold came the last two categories of what the White population of New Guinea was divided into: Missionaries, Moneymakers, and Misfits or Fools, Freaks, and Failures.

Not least among the Misfits was the one who became a Hollywood star - Errol Flynn.

And none, probably, has done more to promote PNG than this lovable rogue who went on to become the world's top sex symbol.

The superb scenery, glorious hills and harbours, white beaches, and shady copra plantations are still today as Flynn describes them in his famous autobiography, My Wicked, Wicked Ways.

Even though Flynn is long dead- through excessive drinking and womanising - he still lives on in PNG.

Places like Salamaua, Wau, Bulolo, Lae, Finschhafen, Port Moresby, Laloki, Rabaul, Kavieng, Madang, and the Sepik River have become famous because of My Wicked, Wicked Ways.

His book remains a bestseller to this day and, in places like Salamaua or Wau - just to name two - people still talk about him.

"Flynn used to drink here,"they'll tell you in Salamaua, or, "this is where he went mining for gold", they'll reminisce in Wau.

Legendary Australian patrol officer, JK McCarthy, recalls in his book, Patrol Into Yesterday, how Flynn stepped in once to protect a small man from a bully: "It was done in the most dramatic style and all of us should have foreseen that he had a movie career ahead of him. There was the noisy bar, the crowd of onlookers, the challenge and the hero knocking the loud-mouthed one cold, right on cue."

Flynn has been called many names: adventurer, thief, lover, liar, murderer, and Hollywood legend.

He probably didn't do much good while he was here, but nevertheless, he placed PNG on the world map as a place where a young man can find himself.

The true-life story of movie superstar Errol Flynn was more dramatic and incredible than even the wildest of his many Hollywood-starring roles.

He may have more swashes then anyone before or since, but Flynn was also a liar and a thief, an incurable seducer of women (and men), a fraudster, hustler, and even murderer... all before the age of 21!

Before the age of 21, Flynn was tried for murder.

He was a thief, a liar, a bad boy in every instance,he was a gigolo, a hustler, and was even accused of being a spy - then he conquered Hollywood.

Wildly promiscuous from an early age, his teenage years were a frantic roller coaster ride of sex, adventure, ill-gotten riches, drink, sex, fighting... and more sex.

Panoramic portrayals of his amazing past have brought the true legend of Flynn explosively to life, blowing the lid off his rabble-rousing time in the gutters of Sydney, and his death-defying escapades searching for gold in the jungles of New Guinea.

Flynn was simply the sexiest, most charismatic star of the Golden Era of Hollywood.

The epitome of a lusty, virile hero, Flynn turned the World into his stage as millions fell for his wicked, wicked ways.

Superstar and legend, Errol Flynn was Hollywood's symbol of male virility during the Golden Era of moviemaking.

He was adored by fans worldwide, admired by millions, despised by many.

Flynn was the quintessence of the swashbuckling hero, but his on-screen exploits were pale echoes of his real life adventures.

Flynn's prowess with women was so infamous that the expression "Come In like Flynn" became a common phrase used to describe the ease with which a man might conquer a woman.

In fact, after a life rocked by success and scandal, Errol Flynn died under dubious circumstances aged 50, supposedly while having sex with a woman.

As an actor, Flynn built the foundation for characters later elaborated by Mel Gibson, Arnold Schwarznegger, Harrison Ford, and Kevin Costner.

He died at age 50 of a heart attack, having had a good run in Hollywood with 53 films - some for Jack Warner, others contracted out to MGM - across from great female players such as Olivia De Haviland, Maureen O'Hara, Bette Davis, Greer Garson and others.

Errol Flynn was born Errol Leslie Thompson Flynn on June 20, 1909 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

Professor Flynn was a well-known marine biologist and zoologist who later went on to receive an MBE for his work at Queens University, Belfast.

Errol also was a direct descendant - on his mothers' side - of Midshipman Young from the infamous HMS Bounty Mutiny of 1789.

The 18-year-old Errol Flynn - with an already shady background - arrived in New Guinea in October 1927 to make his fortune on the newly discovered goldfields at Edie Creek, Wau.

From his arrival he tried unsuccessfully to bluff himself into money as a cadet patrol officer, gold prospector, slave recruiter, dynamiter of fish, trapper of birds, manager of coconut and tobacco plantations, air cargo clerk, copra trader, charter boat captain, pearl diver and diamond smuggler.He was also a prolific writer and contributed regularly to Australian newspapers and magazines with absorbing tales about the untamed jungles of New Guinea.

Flynn soon discovered that the Australian government had a severe shortage of patrol officers, and he hoped to bluff his way through in Rabaul, but this colonial career was short-lived when his background was discovered.

He moved restlessly from one job to another, acquiring many different skills but no great competence.

Hoping to get rich fast, he lived by his wits and ran up many debts.In Rabaul, although considered a likeable and capable young man, his reputation for roguery quickly spread and he ceased to be with the Administration.

His best memory of Rabaul was of "a wonderful saloon where you encountered everything the world could yield up - miners, recruiters, con men, thieves, beachcombers, prospectors - cubicles both downstairs and upstairs, several phonographs playing, cards".

Long after Flynn had left he was remembered around Rabaul, mostly for the unpaid bills he left behind.

Even after he became famous as a film star, he never paid any of those bills.

If people wrote asking him to pay, he would send them autographed photographs of himself, saying these were much more than what he owed them.

The story is told of the famous occasion when a film of Flynn's was showing in Rabaul, and at the end of the credits, a dentist to whom Flynn owned a large account jumped up and shouted: "And teeth by Eric Wein."

In 1928, with money from his work on a coconut plantation and a loan from a shipping company in Sydney, Flynn bought a schooner and took an American film company to make a documentary about headhunters on the Sepik River.

He recalls: "The last place in the world I wanted to go was the Sepik River, a human graveyard. I cruised to the north-east coast, where the red, muddy Sepik River flowed into the sea.

"We moved into the broad stream, running against a strong current.

"The Sepik is a monster waterway 600 miles long.

"No white man has been up the river more than 200 or 300 miles and the nature of the river or the land beyond that was practically unknown and remains little known to this very day.

"The waterway was heavily populated with mosquitoes, kanakas, and pukpuks (crocodiles).

"As we traveled the garamuts, tomtoms made of crocodile skins, kept up a steady communication: 'Outsiders, big magic on the water, beware'.

"When we came in close to shore and tried to get film of the natives, we got arrows instead, real ones, and poisoned."

In 1929, Flynn sailed from the offshore islands to Salamaua, to fulfill his original ambition.

He hired eight men, bought marching gear and gold-digging equipment, and set out for the goldfields at Edie Creek.

The tough march from Salamaua to Wau - through a region filled with blackwater fever and poisoned arrows - tested men's limitations.

The rigorous walk between Salamaua and Wau took up to a week, Flynn writing of how the gold fields had to be approached from Salamaua by 10 days'smarch through leech-infested jungle, in constant fear of ambush, and at night wondering 'whether that crawly sound you heard a few feet away might be a snake, a cassowary or maybe only a wild boar razorback.I have seen Central Africa, but it was never anything like the jungle of New Guinea'.

At Edie Creek, temperatures were high during the day and fell steeply at night.

There was an epidemic of dysentery and malaria, with no trained doctors to attend to the sick.

His men left, and Flynn quickly realised that, "I had neither the provisions, nor the money, nor the necessary men to work a claim properly. The competition with other prospectors who were better set up was too much".

He lost everything he owned and was forced to take a job as manager of a tobacco plantation in Laloki, near Port Moresby.

Six months later, Jack Hides, a flamboyant patrol officer and old Papua hand, turned up at Flynn's place and noted in his diary that Flynn was doing a creditable job.

Flynn had criticised the Australian administration in a letter to his father in Tasmania.

Writing to The Bulletin soon after his arrival, he protested against a government policy that affected his own plantation, the high import taxes imposed on tobacco: "Papua is one of the natural homes of the tobacco plant, and, as Papua is part of the Commonwealth and is in receipt of a yearly subsidy of £40,000 from the federal government, the obvious market for its tobacco is Australia. But the market is closed by a prohibitive tariff."

At Laloki, the man who was to become the world's top sex symbol, wrote about his affair with Tuperselai, a beautiful Papuan girl: "We let ourselves be carried down by the current of the stream and, on the shores, in a secluded nook of shade, at last we made love.

"I can only say that I don't know when again my heart pounded so.

"I was less alone and soft-aired Laloki River is one of my most precious, poetic memories."

In January 1933, in the bush near Finschhafen, Morobe District, Flynn began to "blackbird" local labourers.

His diary recorded that enslaving human beings also involved an element of trust - which was frequently betrayed - and described his conversation with a tribal chief who said he "had given me all their young men and I must look after them well. He enjoined me that I must not sell any of them and when their time had finished must bring them back myself".

Flynn later observed that, "If you spend more than five years in New Guinea you were done for, you'd never be able to get out, your energy would be gone, and you'd rot there like an aged palm".

In April 1933, he sold his property and suddenly left the island with some smuggled diamonds and a case of malaria that would plague him for the rest of his life.

During his years in New Guinea, from the age of 18 to 24, Flynn came to maturity and formed his adult personality.

New Guinea brought out the worst and the best in him.

He was willing to try anything, but wouldn't work at anything for very long.He said, "There is no thrill like making a dishonest buck" and always expected others to support him when he had no money of his own.

He lived by his wits, bluffed his way through crises, and used his fists when he had to.

One of Errol Flynn's greatest loves was writing.

Apart from his autobiography My Wicked, Wicked Ways, he wrote two semi-autobiographical novels Beam Ends and Showdown and in addition wrote articles for the Sydney Bulletin whilst in PNG under the pen-name "Laloki"; for the magazine Photoplay during his first years in Hollywood and his "holiday" in Spain during the Civil War; and then in 1959 he wrote about the Cuban Revolution during which time he was present alongside Fidel Castro.

These writings are compiled in a book called "From a Life of Adventure: The Writings of Errol Flynn" ed. by Tony Thomas.

Errol Flynn loved many women, but he is said to have once confided to a close friend that two of his greatest loves were New Guinea, and writing.

Saturday, December 02, 2006

What a farce it was for this government to create history by adjourning the budget debate for two weeks after it was presented. It is a reflection of a government losing control of managing Members interest.

Mr Speaker, I am pleased to note that the Treasurer continues to adhere to the fiscal framework established in 2002 when formulating the 2007 budget. These fiscal frameworks without question have now contributed greatly to the macro economic stability enjoyed by this government over the last four years, which have provided strong building blocks for 2007 budget and should continue to do so for any future budget.

If we added up all the billions of kina we have spent through each budget over the last 30 years, it is not hard to see that we have not got value for money spent. There are some leaders in this government that could argue that we have made some positive development since independence. That may be true but if we start to add up all the positive and all the negatives I am sure you will agree with me that the negatives at this stage of our development completely outweigh the positive gains.

Papua New Guinea is richly endowed. We have harvested the fruits of these non-renewable endowments. But we have not so far used the proceeds from these rich endowments to lay down strong building blocks for the sustainable future development for our children and our grand children. The 2007 budget will go down exactly the same track as all past budgets.

The Somare government is making exactly the same mistake that all past governments have made. It is throwing huge amount of money, willy nilly, into National Planning Departments and is mistakenly hoping, that money alone, will salvage our entire development problems. This, of course will not happen, as is the sad case, over the last 30 years. All the billions in this budget as was in all previous budgets will be squandered, leaving behind no tangible building blocks for the future development of our country but a huge liability behind for our children and grand children to carry on.

The Somare Government boast about having a Medium Term Development Strategy as a road map for the public investment programmes. It is a sad indictment of an incompetent government to see that this Medium Term Development Strategy after 5 years is still not completed. The Medium Term Development Strategy in its present form is only a wish list. It still remains, this government’s political rhetoric and political rhetoric it shall remain until such time when the Medium Term Development Strategy priority ranking sectors are fully costed with clear bench marks established for monthly, quarterly, half yearly and yearly monitoring and reviews to ensure that resources are diverted to the right areas and that the resultant outcome is achieved for each of the years within the medium term planned period.

Mr Speaker, this is exactly what Finance & Treasury, under one Ministry have established right at the beginning of the term of this government in 2002. The medium term fiscal strategy and the medium term debt management strategy were developed within weeks soon after this government came into office. The result of this foresight over the last four years is unquestionable.

Mr Speaker, establishing these two medium term fiscal frameworks, has now become the corner stone of the highly successful macro economic stability, this country has ever enjoyed.

The medium term fiscal strategy ensures that the government spending was both affordable and sustainable. It also provides that both expenditure and revenues are managed annually within the 5 year medium term strategy to ensure that the government continually achieves its planned (deficit / surplus outcomes) fiscal outcome. The Medium Term Debt Management Strategy provided that over five years planned period the government lives within its means by ensuring that the debt to GDP ratio of the high unsustainable level of 72% is reduced to a more sustainable level as has now been achieved.

Mr Speaker, when this government took office on 5 August 2002, it had no choice, but to take drastic action and strong economic leadership to break the vicious cycle of reckless unproductive spending of previous successive governments and put in measures, to ensure that the government lives within its means, if we are to save Papua New Guinea from becoming the so called “Failed State”.

However, Mr Speaker, achieving and maintaining macro economic stability on its own, even over extended period of time, is likely to fail, if it is not backed up by strong, effective, micro economic development implementation reforms.

Mr Speaker, this is exactly the dilemma that the Somare Government is facing. It is entering into its twilight period, of its history making existence, as the first government in Papua New Guinea to serve its full term of five years in Parliament, yet it has squandered this golden opportunity of the political stability to really create firm building blocks or develop a spring board of long term sustainable micro economic development implementation reforms to propel Papua New Guinea into a prosperous future.

Mr Speaker, political stability, single handedly underpins social / economic stability and provides strong foundation for future prosperity of a nation. However without visionary leaders, as is the case with the Somare Government, blind leading blind, this opportunity is lost.

Mr Speaker, when this government took office in 2002 every sector within the economic or social areas was in extremely dire need of some degree of resuscitation. All these sectors were symbolically in intensive care unit. All hands were required on deck, so to speak, to bring all sectors out of intensive care unit and slowly nurse them back to health so that each can perform as normal and fully contribute to economic growth.

Mr Speaker, this means that each social and economic sectors within the Medium Term Development Strategy priority ranking or not must develop its own Medium Term Development Strategy, each are costed with clear well established bench marks so that monthly, quarterly, half yearly and yearly monitoring and reviews can be made to ensure that planned targets are achieved. This should provide the yardstick through which performance can be measured and that the resultant values can be determined if our limited resources are well spent.

Mr Speaker, this is exactly the process within which Medium Term Fiscal Strategy & Medium Term Debt Management Strategy operates to give this government the successful macro economic fiscal outcome, over the last few years.

However, sad to say, after four years, and now going into its fifth year this government has miserably failed to develop sectoral packages that specifically and clearly links macro and micro economic sectors. Until this happens, (time will not permit) the Medium Term Development Strategy, the government blue print, for public investment programmes, is just another political rhetoric which will provide no sustainable development benefits for the future development of our children and our grandchildren.

To date, the Somare government is riding high on the crest of one and the only one single wave and that is the wave created by the fiscal reforms, over the last four years. The government could have been riding on the crest of many other waves but that’s not to be as we are now approaching the end of the term of this government. The only wave that the Somare government is creating is the “tsunami” type wave, which destroys everything in its path.

The Planning & Monitoring Department lacks capacity. It is long over due for capacity boosting. On top of that it needs stability at the political level. In four years it had seven political heads (one every six moths). On top of this again, the department cannot be expected to achieve any degree of sustainable result, in its implementation, if it does not have the benefit of the sectoral road map, which maps out clearly on annual basis planned targets.

Mr Speaker, my concern is mainly our children and our grand children’s future. How do we achieve a prosperous future for them if we still have not learnt the lessons from our chequered past, in which billions of kina has been spent, and yet there is nothing much on the ground to show for the billions that has been spent except the huge liability left as a legacy for our future children.

The government must commit itself now to do nothing less than to ensure that proper development plans are in place so that every toea spend not will directly contribute to a brighter future for our children. That it spends K1.00 and that kina produces K2.00 tangible sustainable value for the future. At the moment the government is spending K1.00 but will not achieve any sustainable tangible values.

Mr Speaker, What I am saying is not just playing politics with the Somare government. I am not trying to talk down this government because I was sacked as Minister for Finance & Treasury by this Prime Minister. I have already been on record to express the same concern when I was a Minister in this government. I have rated the government’s performance whilst I was still a Minister, giving it a rating of four out of ten in its performance.

May I remind this Parliament, that recently during the life of this government that UNDP has re-classified Papua New Guinea’s development progress from the second lowest development category of “developing country” to that of the lowest category of “least developed country”. This is an indictment of the lack of the development achievement over the last 14 years in support of the argument I am making.

Mr Speaker, it is always difficult to build confidence in a country with a chequered history like Papua New Guinea. It is so easy to lose confidence. There are already signs of waning confidence with multi million kina contracts being delayed. It is discouraging to see the growing risk of un-prioritised, non-costed, unplanned free spending ahead of 2007 elections.

Given the challenging development needs, the windfall gains should have been spent strictly in the context of highest priority areas such as infrastructure, education, health and law and order. But there needs to be prioritised, properly costed and monitored spending based on clearly established bench-marks and planned oriented outcomes.

The government has completely failed to come up with its policy on state owned commercial entities such as PNG Power, Telikom, Air Niugini etc. It is continuing with 100% state ownership. Once again the government is not learning the lessons of the past. There will always be political interference one way or another. These State Owned Enterprises are seen as the milking cows for political party support; the employment potential as a return favour for political cronies and hence complete disregard to follow the proper appointment process of Fit and Proper persons test for the Board and Management appointments. How can we ever get out of this political quagmire to stop continually pumping good money after bad money into propping up non performing state owned commercial entities? There is no protection from political interference so the millions of kina that these entities are spending to re-capitalise as well as the millions of kina that the state is pumping into these entities will only end up leaving the entities worse off than if the government had pursued a policy of partial privatisation.

Instead of spending the money to resuscitate badly performing state owned commercial entities the government would have been better off using the balance of the windfall to reduce future liabilities, especially debt. Reducing these future liabilities has the best intergenerational impact. It ensures future source of sustainable revenue flows and it reduces the burden for our future children.

Mr Speaker, while there has been some improvements in spending controls and monitoring, there is still much room to improve. I am greatly concerned about the breaking of the link between Treasury and Finance budgets and the Development budget. This clearly, lessens controls, in a system not working well. We should all be concerned especially ahead of the 2007 elections given Papua New Guinea’s past record in this aspect.

Mr Speaker, there are still major difficulties in executing projects, which are delayed, and poorly designed. It is not a big secret, simply capacity is not there.

Mr Speaker, from the knowledge, with the department of national planning, the implementation of the development programmes is moving at a snail pace. That is with the exception of the K1.9m, and I say this with tongue and cheek, already released to Bogia electorate, from the K8.9m allocated under the District Education Improvement Programmes, in the last supplementary budget.What about the rest of the 88 districts?

What about the K44.5m for District Transport Infrastructure Programme?

What about the K20m for Community Roads Improvement Programme?

What about the K22m Roads and Bridges Programme?

What about the K22m District Treasury Roll-out Programme?

This list goes on and on!

With a month to go before the Financial books are closed, the Finance and Planning Minister, Mr John Hickey, is still not in a position to inform this House on how the funds are expended.

The Minister continues to tell this House that compliance and acquittal process is paramount before funds are released. I totally agree with him on this, however, he fails to understand that district funds are transferred directly to the district treasuries and thereby, when ever there is disbursement, he should have accessibility to the records.

Now we have another two supplementary budgets of K650m for 2006 and K450m for 2007.

If the implementation of the August Supplementary Budget of K682m is any indication, then Mr Speaker, I ask what guarantee is there that the 2007 Development Budget will be executed accordingly with the fiscal frameworks.

Mr Speaker, this government will not admit it, but I firmly believe that it needs a major effort to improve capacity to go hand in hand with new increased spending, to meet urgent important needs. The government needs to understand a fine balance between spending to meet important development needs, and avoid wastage of finite resources this country has.

Mr Speaker, the type of spending and how this government spends is absolutely important, particularly with this government, as in previous successive governments, where execution, monitoring and reporting remains weak, or in the case of this government, remains non-existence.

Mr Speaker, I have already alluded to the fact that this government must take the Medium Term Development Strategy a step further, and fully prioritise and cost sectoral plans over the medium term. This would guide the government, when it decides, how it uses any new windfalls. This will ensure that we use our finite resources to our best advantage. For this government, it is already too late. It has squandered its golden opportunities, and the election is now just around the corner.

Mr Speaker, if the future governments continue to ignore this, then we will continue to fall into the same pitfalls that the past governments have fallen into.

Mr Speaker, the Somare government had the advantage of having the pre-August 2002 period of economic crisis to learn from, and made sure that it manages spending so as to avoid repeating the same mistake as before. This government must understand that much higher spending in the economy that cannot handle it means one thing, and that thing is higher inflationary pressure. If the government is going to spend more, then it needs a more productive economy than we have at present to avoid inflationary pressure.

Mr Speaker, to avoid the foregoing, we must implement more reforms. In recent time the Morauta government has done more reforms in 2 yrs then the Somare government has done in 5 years and it calls for a more open private sector then what exists today.Mr Speaker, in this respect, I am greatly disappointed that this government has failed to take up front in 2002, the Public Sector reform, in particular, the Right Sizing Programme. This is an important reform area, where this government could have started a process which would have re-allocated significantly from the K1.3billion, unproductive, personal emolument expenditure, to more priority areas.

Mr Speaker, once again, I commend the Treasurer for continuing to apply to the 2007 budget, the medium term fiscal frameworks put in place in 2002.

On the overall macro situation, indications are things continue to go well on the whole.

Mr Speaker, on the negative side, our still high level of debts, and high liquidity levels, could translate easily into inflation, if the government is not careful.

On the growth side, while moderate, is still not high enough to make meaningful difference to the standard of living for the bulk of Papua New Guineans. This is in some ways, reflects the complete failure and incompetence of the Somare government to make full use of its term in government, to develop sectoral strategies to prioritised, and monitor spending based on the established bench-marks, and planned outcomes.

Mr Speaker, there is an increasing and alarming gap developing between other low-income countries and Papua New Guinea. These countries are actually making gains, while we, Papua New Guinea, continue to stagnate in a quagmire.

Sub-Saharan Africa, with much less natural endowment is growing twice as fast as Papua New Guinea, in the face of its reforms.

Other low income countries are following suit through their reforms, growing and moving further ahead of our beloved country, which is more richly endowed. Relative to these countries, Papua New Guinea is slipping further behind, like the proverbial tortoise.

Mr Speaker, Papua New Guinea is a member of the International Community. Within the globalization economic and liberalised free trade concept, we are more and more answerable to the International forums for our action and / or non-action. Domestically we are answerable to our own people. And as the saying goes, Mr Speaker, you can’t talk until you first clean up your own back yard.

These are issues of the national development agenda established through our alignment with the incomplete Medium Term Development Strategy. These are the issues, common to every country on the face of this earth, based on fundamental values of freedom, equality, solidarity, tolerance, health, respect for nature and shared responsibility.

Mr Speaker, I leave these issues with today’s leaders and tomorrow’s leaders who may be interested in our children and grand children’s future with this reminder.

After 31 years of wondering in the wilderness, we still have not yet found the land of milk and honey. We have travelled through stormy weather, high waves and arrived at many cross roads. The immediate question we need to seriously ask ourselves is Which Way Papua New Guinea? Which cross Road?

Friday, December 01, 2006

Papua New Guinea is participating in an international online exposition in Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) to promote its arts and crafts.

The "APEC Local Culture Virtual Exposition (ALCIVE)" opened in August 2006 and closes in July 2007.

It features all 21 APEC member economies with potential visitors to theexposition being consumers from throughout the world.

The invitation to PNG to participate was through the Small Business Development Corporation, as part of the recent small and medium Enterprises (SME) working group meeting in Chinese Taipei.

The SBDC spearheaded PNG's participation at the online exposition, with the country having its own "Exhibition Hall" at this exposition via the Internet.

The website address is www.alcive.tw , from where one can enter PNG's "Exhibition Hall".

Since the launching, more than 75,000 visitors from throughout the world have visited the site.

The SBDC has been supported by network partners such as the Tourism Promotion Authority, the National Museum & Art Gallery, the National Cultural Commission, Tourism Industry Association, and Tour Operators' Association.

Local cultural industries exist in most APEC member economies, and are also industries that are deemed mostly needy of relevant government assistance.

Though the products of the local cultural industries, which are often embedded with rich local culture and art, have been an attractive element to foreign buyers, but, considering that most producers in the local cultural industries are micro-enterprises, most have encountered difficulties in selling their products successfully in the overseas market.

In 2006, APEC Chinese Taipei thus initiated a project, which includes the APEC Local Cultural Industry Market Development Forum and the APEC Local Cultural Industry Virtual Exposition.

The objectives of the initiative are as follows:

* Enhancing the capacity of SMEs and micro-enterprises in the local cultural industries in order that their markets can be expanded;* Building a platform for local cultural industries in demonstration of their products to all APEC economies in order that business opportunities in the international markets can be increased; and* Strengthening cross-border cooperation in the APEC region in promotion of the development of overseas markets for the local cultural industry and in seeking the best practices of market development.

"This is a very good opportunity and potential for PNG, particularly its artsand crafts, to be promoted globally and secure overseas markets," says SBDCManaging Director Mr Brian Komun.

He added that the exposition would also be an ideal place for the country to promote itself as a tourism destination to the world.

APEC's Director General of SME enterprise administration, Mr Sun-Quae Lai,noted PNG's unique arts and crafts which would be showcasedto the world at the exposition.

"As we know," he says, "the products in local cultural industries are an expressionof local culture and art, which are attractive to foreign buyers and therefore have high potential to export.

"Nevertheless, most producers in local cultural industries are micro-enterprisesand have difficulties to sell their products overseas.

"The purpose of the exposition is thus to create a platform for displaying theproducts of APEC member economies' local cultural industries, thereby helpingthese industries to develop new business opportunities in overseas markets.

"We know that Papua New Guinea has a myriad of excellent local cultural goodsthat can be showcased to the world.

"Participating APEC member economies each have their own online"Exhibition Hall" at the online exposition.

Participating member economies are able to use photographs, pictures, text, animation, video footage and others to showcase their economy's local cultural products within their "Exhibition Hall".

The exposition will provide transaction opportunities for all participating products.

Each product showcased in the exposition displays contact details, so that consumers can purchase the product.

However, the exposition will not provide a direct on-line purchasing service.

Consumers wishing to purchase a product will need to contact the exhibitionthemselves using the contact details provided on the exposition website.

During the exposition, the exposition organizers will place advertisementson leading portal sites and other major international websites, and will organise promotional activities to ensure that as many people as possible visit the exposition.

SURFING in PNG is entering an exciting period next year as the sport celebrates 20 years in the country.

Apart from the gala celebrations, the national titles – which will be used to select the national team for the Pacific Games in Samoa – will be staged at Lido Beach in Vanimo, West Sepik province, next January.

Coinciding with the 20th anniversary and the national titles will be the launch of an innovative three-year strategic plan for the Surfing Association of PNG, which was drawn up by a World Bank consultant.

This plan – which will serve as a roadmap for implementing strategies and achieving goals – is indeed a landmark for sport in PNG.

TheWorld Bank came into the picture after noticing the internationally- unique “bottoms up” approach developed by founder Andrew Abel.

“The national titles will be held at Lido village in Vanimo from Jan 10 to 15,” PNGSA president Abel said.

“We estimate between 100 and 200 surfers competing in all divisions.

“We will have junior boys and girls, open men and women, and ‘lapun’ senior masters division for those over 35.

“The national titles and selection will consist of members, men and women of all six affiliated clubs: Sunset, Vanimo (Sandaun province); Sero, Taurama (NCD); Kavieng (New Ireland province); and Dolf (East Sepik province).“There’ll be short and long board.

“We’ll be expecting anywhere between four feet to eight feet-plus waves.

“Following the titles will be the selection on an elite PNG surfing team, which will be made up of one open woman short board, one open man short board, and one open man long board.

“The team, plus management and coach, will be sent to the Surfing Australia High Performance Training Centre on the Gold Coast.

“The reason for this is to expose our elite surfers to the rigours and demands of physically and mentally preparing for high-performance competition surfing under the guidance and training of Glen Elliot, head surfing judge, and Sasha Stocker, head surfing coach of Surfing Australia.

“It is further planned to have our elite surfers billeted by Australian surfing families and to compete on the weekend surfing circuit, and work part-time in established surfboard manufacturing factories to learn the art of shaping and glassing a surfboard, and how the shape and measurements of a board affect the performance of a surfboard in the water.

“The surfers will then return to PNG and then do another one-month round of training prior to departing for Samoa in August.”

The whole event will be covered by a surf documentary filmmaker Adam Pesce, who was here in 2003 to document the history and evolution of modern surfing in PNG.

“It is the plan of the Surfing Association and Pesce and his film crew, to also document the young elite surfers during the national titles through to their training in Australia, to Samoa Pacific Games, and back again to their respective home towns,” Abel said.

“The documentary will be the culmination of 20 years of promoting and developing surfing as a sport; and surf tourism as a growing niche tourism industry with our young elite surfers as ambassadors of PNG.”

PNG found the perfect wave in 1987 when young Abel, third-generation of the famous Abel dynasty of Kwato Island, set up a club in Vanimo with an enthusiastic bunch of novices.

From those humble ripples, the PNG Surfing Association is now a growing wave.

“The surfing association was essentially set up by a bunch of young surfers, primarily local surfers, 20 years ago,” Abel recalled.

“We became affiliated to the PNG Sports Federation as a sporting body and then the International Surfing Association, which is based out of California, United States.”

From those humble beginnings, with an office situated out of the late Sir Cecil Abel’s residence at Waigani, the fledgling PNG Surfing Association worked to promote surfing – first and foremost – at the grassroots level.

“Our pioneering surf club was the Vanimo Surf Club, based out of West Sepik province, in Lido village, in 1988,” Abel said.

“From those humble beginnings in Vanimo, I spent a lot of time flying to and fro with my girlfriend at that time, Francesca, who is now my wife.

“She is instrumental with me in sitting down with the young Vanimo surfers to introduce surfing.

“At that time, they were only surfing with bellyboards, and through their enthusiasm, I started to donate my own boards and then the senior surfers started to pick up the sport, started surfing the real fibreglass boards.”

Abel approached the village councillors as well as John Tekwie, at that time Sandaun governor, who later became the patron of the association.

“Basically, my approach is unique in the surfing world, and it’s been confirmed by people who come into the country,” Abel added.

“The approach was based on what I called the ‘bottom up’ approach, whereby the surfing association works in collaboration with the respective village communities and we set up an affiliated surf club, in this case being Vanimo Surf Club.

“Vanimo Surf Club are owned and operated by the local surfing community.”

"They are affiliated to the Surfing Association.

"The Surfing Association are affiliated to organisations like PNG Sports Federation, which have everything to do with sports; now more so with the PNG Tourism Industry Association, which is to do with tourism; and the International Surfing Association.

“And through this ‘bottom up’ approach, the local village community can access tourism through our affiliations with our surf tour operators in Japan and Australia – which are our primary markets – and our close working ties with Air Niugini and the Tourism Promotion Authority.

“And this is the unique thing about this ‘bottom up’ approach where Surfing Association are working within our constitutional framework, which is also listed in our goals and objectives posted on our website www.surfingpapuanewguinea.org.pg.”

To cut a long story short, such has been the interest in the way PNG Surfing Association are going about that a student at Plymouth University, England, recently did his PhD thesis on sustainable surf tourism in PNG.

Surfing in PNG have indeed found that elusive ‘perfect wave’ that all surfers dream about.For more information about surfing in PNG, log on to www.surfingpapuanewguinea.org.pg .

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

New Generation Party welcomes Commission of Integrity of Political Parties and Candidates in accepting its application as a political entity.

The New Generation Party has welcomed the decision by the Commission of Political Parties and Candidates in accepting its application as a political entity.

The Party, following the announcement, made clear its intention that it will invite the well-respected Lae MP, Hon. Bart Philemon, to lead the party to next year’s election.

The invitation will be made when we enter the grace period for MPs to decide which political party they will join in next year’s election.

It is common knowledge that Mr. Philemon – like Angalimp/South Waghi MP Jamie Maxtone-Graham – has been held against his will by the dictatorial National Alliance.

A recent online poll conducted by The National newspaper had readers overwhelmingly vote against the National Alliance for holding on to Mr. Philemon against his will.

If this is any yardstick to go by, the people of Papua New Guinea will overwhelmingly vote against the National Alliance in 2007.

The New Generation Party will also welcome like-minded sitting members of Parliament to join us.

An open invitation is also extended to public servants, private sector employees, farmers, informal sector members, grassroots, and other concerned Papua New Guineans – both men and women – to join us.

Our National Convention will be held in Lae on February 17th, 2007, where we will elect our national executives and endorse our candidates for the 2007 election.

The New Generation Party aims to build a strong, vibrant and democratic society for present and new generations, with a strong emphasis on our children.

This is because after three decades as an independent sovereign nation, Papua New Guinea is still a country in turmoil.

It failed to improve the well-being of the people because of political instability and weak economic management.

Consequently, economic well-being is now little changed since Independence in 1975.

Poverty is pervasive with significant regional disparities, health facilities and education are sub-standard, and unemployment is high as the population growth accelerates.

This pattern must now come to an end.

Papua New Guinea must recover lost ground and advance for the benefit of current and future generations to come.

In this regard, the paramount goal of the New Generation Party is to serve the people of Papua New Guinea to ensure common prosperity and durable improvements in the well being of the people of Papua New Guinea.

The New Generation Party will at all times be guided by the by the National Goals and Directive Principles established in the Constitution of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea and implemented through its duly elected representatives

Monday, November 27, 2006

Voco Point, Lae, is one of the busiest coastal trading points in the country!

On any given day, coastal vessels from throughout the country – from Alotau to Manus, from Lihir to Vanimo – line up at the wharves.

The passenger boats ferry people to Finschhafen, the Siassi islands, Kimbe, Rabaul, New Ireland, Oro Bay, Alotau, Madang, and Wewak.

The local shops make fortunes every day and the roads are chock-a-block with humans and vehicles.

In a nutshell, Voco Point is one of the busiest coastal trading points in the country.

It continues a great tradition started by Morobeans of long ago.

The pre-World War 11Vacuum Oil Company – Mobil – had a depot at the site of Voco Point; hence, Voco is short for Vacuum Oil Company.

Mobil Oil Australia was established in Australia in 1895 and traded as Vacuum Oil Company.

It was the first oil company to operate in Australia, New Guinea, and of course Lae.

As Lae boomed with the Wau and Bulolo goldfields in the 1920s, a shipping depot connected by railway to the airstrip was established at Vacuum Oil Company (Voco) Point, and remained as the main wharf until after the war.

The local Lae villages call Voco Point Asiawi, and in days of yore, it was a traditional trading ground that bustled with activity.

They came from as far away as the Siassi and Tami Islands, Bukawa, Salamaua, and Labu to meet and exchange goods in this ancient market place.

Researchers know that around the Huon Gulf, a complex and extensive trading system – dependent on canoe voyages – had existed long before contact with Europeans.

The greatest mariners were the Siassi and Tami Islanders, whose boats sailed up the Rai Coast towards Madang, plied the coast of New Britain, and penetrated far to the south in the Huon Gulf.

The Lae, unlike their Labu neighbors, were not great mariners but did build two types of canoes: a small dugout for local fishing and the larger Kasali (sailing canoe) for longer trips.

Supply lines stretched across the Vitiaz Strait to New Britain, up the Rai Coast towards Madang, and deep into the Upper Markham and the high valley of the Huon Peninsula.

According to one researcher, the distinctive feature of this trade was specialisation in the production of certain goods.

The Lae produced taro and fruits; the Labu specialised in woven handbags and baskets; the Bukawa produced taro, fruit, rain capes and mats of pandanus leaves sewn together; the Tami Islanders carved a variety of wooden bowls; while Siassi Islanders acted as middlemen, trading Huon Gulf products into New Britain and bringing back obsidian for knife blades and ochre for paints.

The inlanders and mountain people brought to the beach produce that the coast did not grow so well: yams, sweet potato, and tobacco.

They also brought with them items of wealth such as birds of paradise plumes, dog’s teeth, and cockatoo feathers.

In return, they took shells and shells ornaments, pigs, fish, and salt.

The inland trade route at Lae ran through Yalu to the Markham Valley and through Musom to the highlands of the Huon Peninsula.

Trading was carried out through a system of partnership with certain individuals and families at different ports.

This may explain how traces of the old Ahi – Wampar language are said to exist as far away as the coast of West New Britain.

It may also explain the undercurrent of friendship and co-operation between the people of the Huon Gulf coast, from Salamaua to the Siassi islands.

In 1979, a strange phenomenon occurred when a whirlpool came and tore away a large chunk of land and destroyed part of the Yacht Club.

This surprised many people, but not the local landowners, who said it was an evil spirit called Yaayaa.

According to the traditions of the Gwatu clan of Butibam Village, their original village, Ankuapoc, was near Asiawi.

Asiawi, according to mythology, used to be a long point which went out much further than today but was eaten by the evil spirit called Yaayaa which comes in a whirlpool and takes away chunks of land, the last of which was in 1979.

As Lae boomed with the Wau and Bulolo goldfields in the 1920s, a shipping depot connected by railway to the airstrip was established at Voco Point and remained as the main wharf until after the war.

Voco Point is now the terminal for local shipping and small boats, second to the Lae Port.

But it has made an indelible mark on the history of Lae, Morobe Province, and Papua New Guinea, and continues in the same vein.

Where once ancient mariners braved the rough seas, with only the moon and stars to guide them, now modern coastal vessels load machinery for the new gold mine on Lihir.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

KEYNOTE ADDRESSBY HON. BART PHILEMON, MPMEMBER FOR LAEAT THE BUSU HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION9TH NOVEMBER 2006

I AM indeed honored as Member for Lae – and your neighbour from Butibam Village - to have been invited to give the keynote address at the 2006 Busu High School graduation.

My commendations to Principal Mr. Betong Bega, who has been a staff member at Busu since 1992, for keeping the school running in these very difficult times.

I whole-heartedly congratulate you for your first intake of Grade 11 students this year, despite “zero” assistance from the government by way of finance, classrooms or teachers’ houses.

Mr. Bega is still seeking finance for a Grade 12 classroom and a teacher’s house.

Why is this so?

The government has failed miserably in implementing its own policies, including never-ending delays in transmitting grants to provincial governments.

A classic example is the K10 million for inspectors’ houses in a number of districts which was supposed to have been implemented in 2005.

This was carried over to 2006 and to date, we have not seen or heard anything.

We should question the Education Department on what has happened to the fund.

My good people, my heart bleeds and I worry so much for the future of the children of Papua New Guinea.

Recently, K22million was approved by Parliament for the District Treasury Roll-Out Programme, however, there have since been no more roll-outs.

Where has this money gone to?

Now we hear that the government is coming up with another supplementary budget.

According to the Public Finance Management Act, 90 per cent of surplus in a budget should used to retire debts and the current government has not done that.

It should seriously consider doing that in the next supplementary budget.

We know that next budget and supplementary budget will be election budgets; however, there has been no evidence in successive governments that election budgets are implemented due to shortage of time.

I must also tell you people of my electorate that the Department of National Planning is still having a very difficult time trying to implement the much-publicised Medium Term Development Strategy.

Clearly, something is very, very wrong with this government and it is very, very much out of touch with the little people such as you and me who make up this country.Mr. Bega must be commended for persevering despite the very big “zero” from the government.

I am also not forgetting Mr. Bega’s hard-working teaching staff; ancillary staff; the surrounding community – Malahang, Hanta, Balob, Ampo and Butibam; the local business community such as IFC, Malahang Industrial Centre, Arnotts Biscuits, my good friend Joe Chan; parents; and most importantly, all you graduating and continuing students of this great school.

I am told that apart from the Grade 10s, this will be the last Grade 8 graduation as the school concentrates on Grades 9 to 12.

This is certainly the end of an era as since its inception in the early 1960s, Busu has always had Grade 8.

Since those early days, many hundreds of students have passed through this school.

They are absorbed into different walks of life in our communities.

Some are now occupying top respectable positions in both the government and private sector in the country and overseas.

I appeal to you – the “New Generation” – to continue this great tradition of Busu.

Do not let yourselves be destroyed by the evils of alcohol, drugs, gambling, crime, promiscuous sex, and many others lurking out there.

The future of Papua New Guinea is in the hands of you, the “New Generation”.

Those of you who are not continuing, please do not despair and turn to a life of evil.

There are other avenues to continue your education, otherwise, use what you have learned at Busu to help yourself.

God Almighty has blessed us with every spiritual blessing and an abundance of natural beauty and wealth.

But whilst we live on this earth, we have to make the most of it by living a life of fulfillment, of joy, peace and harmony.

To do so we need good, wise leaders and governments that make decisions that bring maximum positive benefit to their people.

Whilst only a handful of countries enjoy good life, many, including us in Papua New Guinea, struggle from year to year in search of the same, but we never really seem to make it.

I often weep for all the children of this great country.

I wonder what life is like for these children: do they have good homes and access to good health, education, food on the table or money in their pockets?

What will it be like in 20 years from now?

Will they have access to employment in 30 years time?

Will they have access to government services in 50 years from now, when most of us will no longer be here?

Will they have access to adequate health care and security?

Unfortunately for us, as it is now, there is no guarantee, even after 30 years of Independence, of these happening.

According to United Nation’s ratings, Papua New Guinea ranks amongst the lowest or worst in human development index.

Our child mortality rate remains very high with about 70 deaths per 1,000 births; maternal mortality at about 300 deaths per 100,000 births; and life expectancy of a low 58 years.

The sad thing here is that these high mortality rates occur mainly from preventable diseases.

Our literacy rate is also low with many children lacking access to good education.

It is also estimated that around 38 per cent of Papua New Guinea’s population live in poverty.

During the last two years in my former job as Minister for Finance and Treasury I have travelled to many districts in the country to bring financial, banking and postal services to the districts.

I have been forced to weep openly seeing the plight of our mothers and children.

Basic government services have deteriorated to such a state that they can no longer provide the services they are supposed to.

Schools, aid posts and health centres, roads and bridges, police and prison services and general administration have all broken down.

I have seen an alarming contrast.

On the one hand we are a nation of great beauty with immense natural resources.

I see poorly educated children, I see run down buildings, I see news headlines every day about fraud and corruption within our society.

In large urban centres like Lae, Port Moresby and Mount Hagen, I see the social effects of poverty expressed in crime and violence.

So how can a nation of people so richly blessed with such wealth of natural resources suffer in the way that so many of our country men do?

Where is the wealth that we have been so richly given going?

Clearly, much of the people’s natural wealth has not filtered through to the people.

I believe that these past and current failures are as much failures in our leadership and management as they are failures of any other kind.

It is not an absence of wealth that we suffer – it is the absence of the effective leadership and management of that wealth that we suffer.

We must never allow ourselves to underestimate the linkages between good leadership and management and the wellbeing of our communities.

Good leadership and management are not something we can hold up as some vague notion or distant goal – it is something that is essential, something non negotiable, something that we must doggedly pursue regardless of personal cost, regardless of barriers and regardless of set backs difficulties and frustrations – for without good leadership and management the people suffer.

There is an insightful saying that goes like this:

“Sow a thought, reap an action; Sow an action, reap a habit;Sow a habit, reap a character; Sow a character, reap a destiny.”

I would like to also suggest that the long term destiny of this nation will be ultimately determined by getting the basics right.

We have to go back to the basics, and that means going back to the districts and going back to the people.

Today, as I speak to you graduating students, staff, parents and friends, I believe it is the actions we take, or avoid today, that will determine - in no small measure - what life for you will be like.

We have to make the “New Generation” our priority by having good honest leadership in government that will make the decisions that will ultimately in the best interest of our children, their children and their children.

We, leaders and governments, have to ensure that the future of every man women and child alive in this country today is as bright and prosperous as possible.

It says in the Bible, and is inscribed at the entrance of Parliament House, that:

“When the wicked rule the people suffer, when the just rule, the people rejoice.”

Let me tell you - without good leadership and management the people suffer.

Without good leadership and management our taxes go in servicing foreign debt, our physical infrastructure is not maintained, and our capacity to provide basic services to the community is depleted.

Without good leadership and management babies don’t receive the medical care they need, school children don’t receive the education they are entitled to, fathers can’t find employment and can’t support their families.

Without strong leadership and management, opportunities to grow our economy and attract foreign investment will be limited.

Without strong leadership and management, we lose the confidence of the markets, our development partners, and lenders.

Without good leadership and management, we waste the very money that should be being used to strengthen the infrastructure and programs essential to achieve the aspirations of the people.

So to me, good leadership and management is not an option – it is an absolute necessity and it is one that I have committed myself to and will continue to commit myself to wholeheartedly.

But that commitment must also come from you, the voters.

You must make wise decisions when selecting your leaders.

You know, the kind of leadership that forms government is the kind of leadership you choose.

You can choose to have wicked leaders that make you suffer or you can choose to elected just leaders that make you rejoice.

The choice is entirely yours because that choice you make will determine the destiny of your children and grand children.

The type of government and leadership I want to be a part of will also work in partnership with all the people of Papua New Guinea.

A new political Party – “New Generation Party” will emerge in the 2007 general elections and we believe it has a spiritual connotation to it.

It reminds us of the children of Israel led by Moses on their way to the “Promised Land” filled with milk and honey.

Unfortunately, the old generation of people led by Moses had to die in the wilderness, including Moses, and God had to raise a new generation of people under the leadership of Joshua to enter the Promised Land after 40 years

“God willing”, a new government under the leadership of the New Generation Party will ensure that our people benefit from the services they have been deprived of for the last 31 years.

Papua New Guinea has had 31 years of Independence and we have absolutely no doubt that “God willing”, a new generation of leadership under the New Generation Party will drive PNG into a nation that God had intended it to be.

It is time now aim high and to set our course on the right path and relentlessly set our goals high and steadfastly pursue these goals to build a nation and lift the economic, social, and cultural well-being of all Papua New Guineans.

When this is done, Papua New Guinea will then truly be one nation and one people, harnessing and unleashing all energies together to build a brighter future and better future for the current and future generations.

My heart-felt congratulations to all you young people graduating today, and remember that you are the “New Generation” who will one day run this country.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

The Member for Lae Bart Philemon today welcomed UK-based exploration company Triple Plate Junction (TPJ) setting up its office in Lae.

The Lae office is mainly to support the needs of Exploration Licences in Morobe, Manus and Eastern Highlands Provinces.

It is understood that although TPJ (PNG) is not a big company, it employs about 100 employees and spends about K500, 000.00 a month on exploration in Papua New Guinea.

“This is about job creation within Morobe province and capitalising on the presence of skilled Papua New Guinean with a lot of commercial and practical experience” Mr. Philemon said.

Mr. Philemon also welcomed the company’s policy of employing and training local people whenever possible.

New assays received from TPJ’s first-phase reconnaissance work at the Company’s Otibanda prospect in Morobe province have outlined consistently high gold values in outcropping quartz vein shear zones.

Rock-chip gold grades include 4m of 70g/t, 5m of 13.0 g/t, 4m of 13.5g/t, 1.8m of 18.4 g/t and 3m of 12.7g/t from a 3-5 meter wide WNW trending 2km long central vein, but the gold value will not be known until the assays come back from an independent laboratory later this month.

The laboratory preparation facility is also based in Lae.

Smaller, parallel gold veins can be found up to 1.1 kilometers north of central zone, and 500 meters south of the zone.

Rock-chips values in these discontinuous veins include 0.8m of 26.2 g/t, 1.5m of 22.7 and 0.7m at 4.1 g/t gold.

On seeing the results, the Chief Executive Officer of PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum, Mr. Greg Anderson, commented that they were “very impressive and good news for PNG mineral exploration”.

Otibanda landowners in the area are happy with the progress of exploration.

Mr. Philemon urged the landowners to be reasonable in their on-going discussions with the company to ensure they receive benefit in the short and long term to enrich their livelihood and not to unnecessarily delay the drilling process.

“Otibanda is one of the several encouraging gold prospects that TPJ is currently working on its PNG Exploration Licences, including the recently-announced high grade gold mineral deposit on Manus,” Mr. Philemon said.

“Both of these prospects will be drilled next year and TPJ is presently negotiating with two Lae-based drilling companies to carry out the drilling.

“I am pleased with TJP for recognising the potential and having the confidence in setting its office in my electorate.

“As I have always maintained, Papua New Guinea has a lot of untapped natural resources, however, it needs strong political leadership to be at the helm in order for our people to benefit from the outcomes.”

TPJ is currently listed in London but is working towards a dual listing on the PNG Stock Exchange next year.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

I am indeed honored as Member for Lae – and a former banana farmer - to have been invited to give the keynote address at the 2006 Morobe Agricultural Show.

My commendations to my good friend Mike Quinn, who has been the Show Society President for the last 10 years and a member of the Show Society since 1992, for keeping the fire of the Morobe Agricultural Show alive.

Not forgetting Mike’s hard-working Show Committee, the business community of Lae and Morobe Province, and most-importantly the little men and women farmers of Morobe Province to whom this Show is dedicated.

Like you, I once was a little banana farmer at Malahang, who toiled the soil to make ends meet – so I feel an empathy for you.

Let me also not forget the support of all sponsors, especially Coca-Cola, without whom this iconic event of Papua New Guinea would not have been possible.

The Morobe Agricultural Show is a major tourist attraction and showcases the agricultural, industrial, commercial and cultural aspects of Lae and the Morobe Province.

It plays a major role in the dissemination of information on cultivation, crops, diseases and breeding, as well as being the largest entertainment event in the province.

I am proud, as Member for Lae, that this is the 46th show since 1959 and is – without question – the best show in Papua New Guinea with a bias towards agriculture.

As a farmer, I strongly believe in agriculture to help develop this country.

We must encourage and foster upstream processing of agricultural commodities;

We must reduce the National Department of Agriculture and Livestock to a small policy making unit advising the Minister;

We must review, consolidate and restructure existing commodity boards, ensuring that growers make appointment of at least half the board members and those they have effective controls to prevent unnecessary wastage of growers’ funds; We must consolidate all agricultural research under the National Agricultural Research Institute or the private sector. Ensure that adequate government funding is provided for agricultural research by providing funding on a kina-for-kina basis. Ensure regular external reviews of agricultural research;We must revive agricultural extension by expanding the Smallholder Support Services Pilot Programme to all provinces;We must review and enhance the Rural Development Bank lending and operational policies to make it accessible to rural populace; We must encourage smallholder farmers to increase production;We must review all outstanding debts to government owed by commodity boards.We must ensure that transport infrastructure is adequate to allow farmers to get produce to market and trade goods back to villages.We must ensure adequate telecommunications to enable farmers to access information about markets and prices.We must support and rehabilitate livestock industry including institutional strengthening.

God Almighty has blessed us with every spiritual blessing and an abundance of natural beauty and wealth.

But whilst we live on this earth, we have to make the most of it by living a life of fulfillment, of joy, peace and harmony.

To do so we need good, wise leaders and governments that make decisions that bring maximum positive benefit to their people.

Whilst only a handful of countries enjoy good life, many, including us in Papua New Guinea, struggle from year to year in search of the same, but we never really seem to make it.

Many of us here today at the Morobe Show have children, or younger brothers and sisters, or nieces and nephews.

I wonder what life is like for those children: do they have good homes and access to good health, education, food on the table or money in their pockets.

What will it be like in 20 years from now?

Will they have access to employment in 30 years time?

Will they have access to government services in 50 years from now, when most of us will no longer be here?

Will they have access to adequate health care and security?

Unfortunately for us, as it is now, there is no guarantee, even after 30 years of Independence, of these happening.

According to United Nation’s ratings, Papua New Guinea ranks amongst the lowest or worst in human development index.

Our child mortality rate remains very high with about 70 deaths per 1,000 births, maternal mortality at about 300 deaths per 100,000 births and, life expectancy of a low 58 years.

The sad thing here is that these high mortality rates occur mainly from preventable diseases.

Our literacy rate is also low with many children lacking access to good education.

It is also estimated that around 38 per cent of Papua New Guinea’s population live in poverty.

During the last two years in my former job as Minister for Finance and Treasury I have traveled to many districts in the country to bring financial, banking and postal services to the districts.

I have been forced to weep openly seeing the plight of our mothers and children.

Basic government services have deteriorated to such a state that they can no longer provide the services they are supposed to.

Schools, aid posts and health centres, roads and bridges, police and prison services and general administration have all broken down.

I have seen an alarming contrast.

On the one hand we are a nation of great beauty with immense natural resources.

I see poorly educated children, I see run down buildings, I see news headlines every day about fraud and corruption within our society.

In large urban centres like Lae, Port Moresby and Mount Hagen, I see the social effects of poverty expressed in crime and violence.

So how can a nation of people so richly blessed with such wealth of natural resources suffer in the way that so many of our country men do?

Where is the wealth that we have been so richly given going?

Clearly, much of the people’s natural wealth has not filtered through to the people.

I believe that these past and current failures are as much failures in our leadership and management as they are failures of any other kind.

It is not an absence of wealth that we suffer – it is the absence of the effective leadership and management of that wealth that we suffer.

We must never allow ourselves to underestimate the linkages between good leadership and management and the wellbeing of our communities.

Good leadership and management are not something we can hold up as some vague notion or distant goal – it is something that is essential, something non negotiable, something that we must doggedly pursue regardless of personal cost, regardless of barriers and regardless of set backs difficulties and frustrations – for without good leadership and management the people suffer.

There is an insightful saying that goes like this:

“Sow a thought, reap an action; Sow an action, reap a habit;Sow a habit, reap a character; Sow a character, reap a destiny.”

I would like to also suggest that the long term destiny of this nation will be ultimately determined by getting the basics right.

We have to go back to the basics, and that means going back to the districts and going back to the people.

Today, as I speak to you people of Lae, Morobe Province and Papua New Guinea, I believe it is the actions we take, or avoid today, will determine - in no small measure - what life for you will be like.

We have to make the new generation our priority by having good honest leadership in government that will make the decisions that will ultimately in the best interest of our children, their children and their children.

We, leaders and governments, have to ensure that the future of every man women and child alive in this country today is as bright and prosperous as possible.

It says in the Bible, and is inscribed at the entrance of Parliament House, that:

“When the wicked rule the people suffer, when the just rule, the people rejoice.”

Let me tell you - without good leadership and management the people suffer.

Without good leadership and management our taxes go in servicing foreign debt, our physical infrastructure is not maintained, and our capacity to provide basic services to the community is depleted.

Without good leadership and management babies don’t receive the medical care they need, school children don’t receive the education they are entitled to, fathers can’t find employment and can’t support their families.

Without strong leadership and management, opportunities to grow our economy and attract foreign investment will be limited.

Without strong leadership and management, we lose the confidence of the markets, our development partners, and lenders.

Without good leadership and management, we waste the very money that should be being used to strengthen the infrastructure and programs essential to achieve the aspirations of the people.

So to me, good leadership and management is not an option – it is an absolute necessity and it is one that I have committed myself to and will continue to commit myself too wholeheartedly.

But that commitment must also come from you, the voters.

You must make wise decisions when selecting your leaders.

You know, the kind of leadership that forms government is the kind of leadership you choose.

You can choose to have wicked leaders that make you suffer or you can choose to elected just leaders that make you rejoice.

The choice is entirely yours because that choice you make will determine the destiny of your children and grand children.

The type of government and leadership I want to be a part of will also work in partnership with all the people of Papua New Guinea.

I say this because after three decades as an independent sovereign nation, Papua New Guinea is still a country in turmoil.

It failed to improve the well-being of the people because of political instability and weak economic management.

Consequently, economic well-being is now little changed since independence in 1975.

Poverty is pervasive with significant regional disparities, health facilities and education are sub-standard, and unemployment is high as the population growth accelerates.

This pattern must now come to an end.

Papua New Guinea must recover lost ground and advance for the benefit of current and future generations to come.

In this regard, the paramount goal of the Government must be to serve the people of Papua New Guinea to ensure common prosperity and durable improvements in the well being of the people of Papua New Guinea.

The Government must at all times be guided by the by the National Goals and Directive Principles established in the Constitution of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea and implemented through its duly elected representatives.

The critical elements which can and will ensure a decisive and irreversible forward progress are not just economic and political, but also social and cultural.

These are critically important.

1. We must legislate National Goals and Directive Principles to guide the policies for social and economic development.2. We must improve the welfare of all Papua New Guineans by ensuring that they have access to basic medical and educational services.3. We must achieve high and sustained growth rates by developing and expanding the resource sectors to include downstream processing all agricultural and mineral resources. We must do so responsibility to ensure sustainable development of our natural resources.4. Similarly, we must expand and rehabilitate physical infrastructure to allow people to take part in the modern economy and to thereby lower unemployment and underemployment especially in the rural areas.5. We must promote the private sector as the key engine of growth in order to generate income earning opportunities for all Papua New Guineans.6. Government’s role in the economy must be limited streamlined regulation and providing an enabling framework for the rapid growth of productive capacity in the private sector.7. We must eradicate corruption and graft at all levels by ensuring that transparency and accountability permeates every aspect of public transactions. We must learn from the past and adopt best practices that have worked elsewhere.8. We must reduce waste and improve the efficiency of service delivery to our people, especially those in the rural areas. To do so, we must break from past tradition and review the current three tier system of government with a view to making more cost effective and service oriented. A lean productive and responsive public service machinery will deliver better services to our population.9. We are a proud nation, rich in diversity of people, ideas, and action. We must use this to our advantage to create an integrated order of one people and one nation.10. We must also protect and preserve our natural environment, and cultural heritage for future generations yet unborn.

It is time now to aim high and to set our course on the right path and relentlessly set our goals high and steadfastly pursue these goals to build a nation and lift the economic, social, and cultural well-being of all Papua New Guineans.

When this is done, Papua New Guinea will then truly be one nation and one people, harnessing and unleashing all energies together to build a brighter future and better future for the current and future generations.

With these few words, I now declare the 2006 Morobe Agricultural Show officially open.

BUILDING A STRONG, VIBRANT AND DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY FOR PRESENT AND NEW GENERATIONS

2007 AND BEYOND

DRAFT POLICY

After three decades as an independent sovereign nation, Papua New Guinea is still a country in turmoil. Despite its vast natural resources and potential wealth, Papua New Guinea remains poor. It failed to improve the well-being of the people because of political instability and weak economic management. Consequently, economic well-being is now little changed since independence in 1975. Poverty is pervasive with significant regional disparities, health facilities and education are sub-standard, and unemployment is high as the population growth accelerates. This pattern must now come to an end. Papua New Guinea must recover lost ground and advance for the benefit of current and future generations to come.

In this regard, the paramount goal of the New Generation Party (NGP) is to serve the people of Papua New Guinea to ensure common prosperity and durable improvements in the well being of the people of Papua New Guinea. The NGP will at all times be guided by the by the National Goals and Directive Principles established in the Constitution of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea and implemented through its duly elected representatives.

KEY POLICY OBJECTIVES

The critical elements which can and will ensure a decisive and irreversible forward progress are not just economic and political, but also social and cultural. These are critically important.

We must legislate National Goals and Directive Principles to guide the policies for social and economic development.We must improve the welfare of all Papua New Guineans by ensuring that they have access to basic medical and educational services.We must achieve high and sustained growth rates by developing and expanding the resource sectors to include downstream processing all agricultural and mineral resources. We must do so responsibility to ensure sustainable development of our natural resources.Similarly, we must expand and rehabilitate physical infrastructure to allow people to take part in the modern economy and to thereby lower unemployment and underemployment especially in the rural areas.We must promote the private sector as the key engine of growth in order to generate income earning opportunities for all Papua New Guineans.Government’s role in the economy must be limited streamlined regulation and providing an enabling framework for the rapid growth of productive capacity in the private sector.We must eradicate corruption and graft at all levels by ensuring that transparency and accountability permeates every aspect of public transactions. We must learn from the past and adopt best practices that have worked elsewhere.We must reduce waste and improve the efficiency of service delivery to our people, especially those in the rural areas. To do so, we must break from past tradition and review the current three tier system of government with a view to making more cost effective and service oriented. A lean productive and responsive public service machinery will deliver better services to our population.We are a proud nation, rich in diversity of people, ideas, and action. We must use this to our advantage to create an integrated order of one people and one nation.We must also protect and preserve our natural environment, and cultural heritage for future generations yet unborn.

These critical elements can only be held together at the top by a truly national symbol of unity in a Head of sate selected in a non-partisan manner as a lever of political unity. From this strength of unity, many political policies and divisive practices will disappear or will no longer be possible.

It is time now aim high and to set our course on the right path and relentlessly set our goals high and steadfastly pursue these goals to build a nation and lift the economic, social, and cultural well-being of all Papua New Guineans. When this is done, Papua New Guinea will then truly be one nation and one people, harnessing and unleashing all energies together to build a brighter future and better future for the current and future generations.

1. GOVERNANCE REFORM PLAN

The NGP recognizes improved governance as a critical requirement for PNG to address its development challenges. Support for public sector reform, improved public financial management and the application of sanctions for non-compliance and corruption are critical elements in maintaining good governance.

NGP will address corruption by:

a) Introducing legislation to create an Independent Commission Against Corruption.b) Ensure that the sufficient resources are provided to institutions responsible for fighting corruption.c) Appointing a contract Police Commissioner by the Constitutional Appointments Committee on a finite contract to reform and rebuild the police force.d) Ensuring that adequate resources are provided to the Public Accounts Committee and the fraud squad and National Anti Corruption Coalition to take action on irregularities exposed by the committee.e) Directing and making sure relevant agencies perform their constitutional functions and responsibilities according to law.f) Establishing audit committees and units in all levels and instruments of government.g) Review and strengthen systems of checks and balance to prevent abuse of power and process.h) Stringent compliance to the merit-based system of appointments and termination.i) Review and simplify the current cumbersome appointment process of Departmental heads and statutory bodies.j) Instituting a performance based management systems for Departmental heads aimed at achieving and rewarding results and applying sanctions on poor performance.k) Enforcing strict code of professional ethics for public office holders, public servants and professionals within government instrumentalities.l) Strengthen the professional bodies’ responsible for ethical conduct of professionals in government instrumentalities.

2. ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT

The NGP will implement macro-economic policies that will build investor confidence and create the foundation for sustained low inflation, a stable currency, high levels of investment and significant economic growth. High sustained economic growth facilitates widespread job creation and reduces poverty.

a) Increase Gross National Savings and Gross Domestic Investment from current low levels.b) Accelerate economic growth to at least 5 per annum sustain it above 5 percent per annum based on the phased implementation of the key projects and improved productivity in the agriculture and mineral sector.c) Remove obstacles to productive growth in the formal and informal sectors and encourage downstream processing of primary resources.d) Setting realistic economic goals and targets production levels by number of tones/units and identify the constraints to reaching these targets and removing them.e) Review and improve fiscal and monetary policy. Monetary and fiscal discipline will result in a gradual reduction in interest rates, providing businesses with lower cost funding for investment, growth and job creation.

f) Reduce the ratio of debt to GDP by setting and strictly enforcing maximum borrowing levels to minimize the use of revenues to service debt.g)h) Review the Medium Term Development Strategy to be guided by the Medium Term Fiscal Strategy.i) Review the taxation system to enable better outcomes

3. PRIVATE SECTOR and BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Recognizing that the private sector is the backbone of the economy, and that small and informal business is part of the private sector, NGP will pursue a number of key strategies to facilitate private sector growth by:

a) Direct the public sector to cooperate with the private sector and do all it can to encourage business rather than create barriers and impediments. Ensure that these efforts are coordinated within government agencies.b) Provide or encourage necessary infrastructure (transport, telecommunications, electricity, and financial) to assist sustainable business to grow.c) Strengthen the law and justice sector to reduce law and order problems in both rural and urban areas.d) Reduce the institutional barriers to business and ensure that approvals are given quickly with assistance from the Investment Promotion Authority.e) Provide more effective technical support and training for small and medium size enterprises by restructuring number of government agencies.f) encouraging a competitive and dynamic private sector through various policy initiatives.g) limiting the role of government to one of regulatory rather than a direct player.

In addition NGP will promote the public-private partnership and aggressively pursue trade liberalization to comply with international commitments.

4. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT

NGP recognizes the importance of industrial development to broaden the economic base and create opportunities for employment and income generation. The NGP will ensure that our manufacturing sector becomes more competitive and that manufacturers upgrade their facilities and have increased access to overseas export markets by:

a) Encouraging and fostering manufacturing and downstream processing activities with the view to add value to exports.b) Encourage and foster upstream activities to sustain the industry.c) Enhance operations of a one-stop shop and approval system for security in business.d) Re-examine and strengthen existing initiatives on free trade zones, industrial parks/centers and tax free factoriese) Encourage informal sectors and businesses in towns and villages.f) Promote micro- finance scheme to support small-scale business and individual entrepreneurs.g) Promote development of entrepreneurial culture and skills.

5. PUBLIC SECTOR REFORM

The NGP believes in the importance of the public sector to the economy and service delivery to our people. Reforming the public sector to make it more effective, efficient and economical is important in this regard. NGP will accomplish this by:

a) Abolishing provincial governments and progressively relocating public servants to districts after ensuring that there is adequate housing and infrastructure available.b) Initiating reform towards results-based performance in all government instrumentalities.c) Where possible outsource provision of traditional government services with strong government control over standards and regularity, air, sea and road. of delivery.d) Review and implement the Right Sizing recommendations presented to the government in 2005 where relevant including provincial governments.e) Review number of Boards and Authorities with a view to reducing the numbers and increasing their efficiency by introducing strict performance management criteria and penalties for failure to reach them.f) Developing and implement an institutional and implementation professional capacity building programmes for all levels of government through the reintroduction of a public service cadetship system, formal training schemes through regional training institutions, promotion based on formal training results;g) Establishing a coherent policy, planning, budgeting and accounting system for program implementationh) Developing a comprehensive National and District Data Management System to improve planning, delivery and monitoring of program of public services.6. PRIVATISATION

The NGP believes that state owned enterprises should be fully commercialized and where relevant privatized. NGP will:

a) Review roles and function of Independent Public Business Corporation.b) Review the current regulatory regime with the view to opening up the market for competition.c) Ensure that all appointments of Boards and Chief executive Officers are made on meritd) Assess the performance of State Owned Enterprises and determine their immediate and long-term commercial viabilitye) To privatize SOEs where such enterprises have proven to be commercially unviable or in instances where the gains from privatization outweighs the future benefits by continuously holding onto them.f) Ensure that the Community Service Obligations are included in any sale or commercialization.

7. AGRICULTURE, LAND, AND NATURAL RESOURCES

(i) Agriculture

The NGP will work to make traditional agricultural crops more competitive and actively seek to diversify into higher value-added and niche market areas to benefit from our comparative advantages.a) Encourage and foster upstream processing of agricultural commodities.b) Reduce the National Department of Agriculture and Livestock to a small policy making unit advising the Minister.c) Review, consolidate and restructure existing commodity boards, ensuring that growers make appointment of at least half the board members and those they have effective controls to prevent unnecessary wastage of growers’ funds.d) Consolidate all agricultural research under the National Agricultural Research Institute or the private sector. Ensure that adequate government funding is provided for agricultural research by providing funding on a kina-for-kina basis. Ensure regular external reviews of agricultural research.e) Revive agricultural extension by expanding the Smallholder Support Services Pilot Programme to all provinces,f) Review and enhance the Rural Development Bank lending and operational policies to make it accessible to rural populace.g) Encourage small holder’s farmers to increase production.h) Review all outstanding debts to government owed by commodity boards.i) Ensure that transport infrastructure is adequate to allow farmers to get produce to market and trade goods back to villages.j) Ensure adequate telecommunications to enable farmers to access information about markets and prices.k) Support and rehabilitate livestock industry including institutional strengthening.

(ii) Forestry

a) Get industry agreement on sustainable logging levels through roundtable discussion between all Stakeholders.b) Review current practice of round log export versus downstream processing.c) Ensure that ALL conditions of EVERY logging lease/agreement are uniform and guarantee lasting benefit to landowners.d) Review the Forestry Act to ensure it provides sustainability with the emphasis on on-shore downstream processing to enhance growth in manufacturing sector and rural employment.e) Enhance landowner participation in decision making and development.f) Encourage more research into forestry resources with the view to conserve rare and unique habitat for future generations.g) Review and restructure the forest management services including the institutional setup.

(iii) Fisheries

a) Review the fisheries management arrangements for fisheries developmentb) Promote and encourage onshore processing of tuna and other species.c) Rehabilitate and strengthen research and training institutions.d) Review the provisions of the border treaties relating to marine resources.e) Encourage and support aquaculture development in inland fishery.

(iv) Tourism

The NGP will provide adequate support to marketing and advertising the tourist product, expand offerings of attractions to visitors and improve our infrastructure, especially in our resort towns. It will:

a) Review and promote the recommendation of the ICCC-TPA Review and Development Plan 2007-2017.b) Address impediments to tourism development with the view to addressing the high cost structuresc) Increase allocation of resources to the promotion and development of the tourism industry through incentives to the private sector.d) Implement more tax incentives for new tourism development.e) Institute a high level coordination and communication between provincial, districts and the national departments on eco-tourism developmentf) Encourage and support for tourism related training initiatives.g) Encourage and support community and village based tourism projects.h) Review existing instructional setup to facilitate tourism development.i) Encourage cultural heritage for tourism development.

(v) Environment Management and Development

The NGP will promote sustainable development and protection of the environment to develop and preserve the country for future generations.

a) Promote and conserve our natural environment for sustainable and use consistent with the 4th Goal of our Constitution.b) Rehabilitate existing protected areas and promote small to large scale conservation areas for sustainable development.c) Review the environment and conservation legislations with the view to enhancing management and development of our natural resources and biodiversity.d) Strengthen the administrative ability of the Department of Environment and Conservation to enable it to better monitor exploitation of natural resources.

(vi) Land

The NGP will place special emphasis on the unique issues surrounding the economic use of land. It will devise focused strategies to address these problems to encourage the productive development of land as a key economic input. NGP Will:

a) Ensure proper security of indigenous landownership for maximum and long term benefits.b) Review the land administration and management legislations.c) Encourage landowner participation in using their land for economic development.d) Review and implement the National Development Land Reform.

(vii) Mining and Petroleum

The NGP will work to expand the mining and petroleum sector. It will

a) Review the appropriate legislations to ensure it provides sustainability with the emphasis on on-shore downstream processing to enhance growth in manufacturing sector and rural employment.b) Enhance landowner participation in decision making and development.c) Review and restructure the current administrative arrangements in the management of land-owner benefits.

(ix) Cross-Cutting Issues

a) Provide revolving credit facilities such as the micro-finance to provide opportunities for investment and productive employment.b) Review existing incentive structures to encourage subsistence farmers in agriculture, fisheries, tourism and forestry to consolidate these sectors as the backbone of the economy.c) Promote and enhance capacity building in those economic sectors.

6. INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

NGP recognizes that infrastructure development is the key to any economic and social development. The NGP will focus on the rehabilitation and development of all basic infrastructures by:

TransportThe NGP will upgrade, improve and maintain Papua New Guinea’s transportation network, and improve the quality and diversity of the transportation system.a) Ensure adequate provision of transport services (air, sea and road) to all remote areas.b) Review the existing transport policy to ensure that a more integrated approach transport planning to provide a safe, dependable, effective and cost efficient transport services to all sections of the community.c) Increase funding for the maintenance, rehabilitation and upgrading of existing infrastructure in the three modes of transportation (land, sea/waterways and air).d) Develop and maintain rural feeder roads, airstrip, and waterways to facilitate easy access to social and economic services.e) Implementation of the sub-sectoral authorities such as National Road Authority, National Maritime Authority and Civil Aviation Authority and ensure they are more effective accountable to finance and management of transport assets.f) Review and institute regulations to encourage competition in the sector.

HealthThe NGP believes that every one must have access to basic health care. It will encourage:

a) Encourage private provision of health services down to village level.b) Review existing legislations with the view to improving and realigning the health sector.c) Make a stock take of all medical facilities throughout the country and provide funding to ensure that they are reopened by government or private health care providers.d) Maintain and rehabilitate existing health facilities including accommodation for staff.e) Establish mobile clinics to provide medical access to the poor, elderly and infirmed.

Education

The NGP will:

a) Make a stock take of all schools, their condition, actual versus funded staffing levels and provision of adequate materials and supplies including desks, books and stationary.b) Review existing legislations with the view to improving and realigning the education sector.c) Increase funding for education facilities such primary, secondary, vocational/technical, colleges and tertiary institutions.d) Maintain and rehabilitate existing educational facilities including accommodation for staff.

Information, Communication, Telecommunications

The NGP will develop a modern information, communication and technology (“ICT”) policy that provides for the acquisition, installation and operation of different means of ICT to make Papua New Guinea a world leader in ICT and also meet the developmental needs of the people. NGP believes that

Communications must play a critical role in promoting economic, social, scientific, educational and cultural progress as well as a better understanding among Papua New Guineans.In the globalized economy, information technology and communications media have a vital role in educational advancement and in promoting economic and social development.To effectively take advantage of the opportunities offered by ICT, Papua New Guinea must put in place a cost-effective and technologically advanced human resources and regulatory infrastructure. The NGP will:a) Promote and increase funding for establishment of rural telecommunication network.

b) Establish an Information Technology Authority reporting directly to the relevant minister to plan and coordinate the development of the ICT industry in Papua New Guinea within the public sector and to facilitate linkages with the private sector.c) Conduct a comprehensive survey of the current status of ICT in the public and private sectors.d) Conduct a comprehensive new legislation and legislative overhaul initiative to ensure that adequate and appropriate legislation exists covering areas such as digital signatures, privacy, and protection of intellectual property.e) Actively work toward establishing a national public IT network on a single standard which is competitively priced, utilizes multiple sources, and has adequate penetration into the educational system.f) Attract joint ventures to build more information technology (IT) digi ports to develop Papua New Guinea as a leading IT operation.g) Encourage the installation of broadband, high speed internet and wireless technology to attract a wide range of IT investments.h) Promote wireless internet technology to enable computer access to reach schools and rural homes institution as required.i) Promote broader reach of television broadcasting to reach the wider population.

Housing

a) Ensure that adequate land is available for citizens to build their own houses.b) Encourage private provision of housing and in the interim increase funding for maintenance and rehabilitation of institutional housing for public servants including police, correctional services magisterial services and judiciary in urban centers and districts.c) Encourage and support various housing schemes

7. PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL LEVEL GOVERNMENTS

NGP recognizes that after 31 years of political independence, the three tiers of government have failed to effectively deliver the essential basic services to the rural populace. The NGP will reform Papua New Guinea’s Constitution and system of Governance to improve transparency, accountability and the strength of representation of the people by elected officials. The NGP will:

a) Review the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Government with a view to abolishing provincial government.b) Make appropriate amendments to the OLPLLG to make it more effective and capable of providing the necessary services to all communities.c) Pursue the District Treasury and District Services Improvement Programme.d) Review of the work of the National Economic and Fiscal Commission with view to identifying funding for its equitable distribution to provinces.e) Review and strengthen the National and Provincial Monitoring Authority.f) Promote training and up skilling of provincial and district professional capacity for effective implementation of government policy.g) Ensure the all funding for Local Level Governments provided under the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Government is provided directly to the districts.

8. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

The NGP recognizes the importance of providing social services to improve the welfare of all Papua New Guineans. In doing so, the NGP will:

8.1 Education

The NGP will implement LEARN (Learning and Education Reform for Nation Building) a comprehensive programme to increase funding, reform the curricula, and improve school infrastructure and teacher training, in order to produce more literate and educated students.

a) Recentralize the Education System to make it more effective and responsive to the changing times.b) Ensure every child will be provided tuition fees from elementary to grade 2 and that will be extended to Grade 8 in 2010, with the view to empowering our future generation and to improve the literacy rate consistent with the Millennium Development Goals..c) Review the Elementary Curriculum with the view to introduce tok pisin in all elementary schools and to enhance greater local participation and making it more effective.d) Reform teacher education programmes to make them more effective with view to improving the quality of education.e) Promote technical and vocational training programmes.f) Encourage private providers of education and training and expansion of distance education, without compromising the quality standards set by Government.g) Promote and enhance school inspectorate in all district to monitor the successes and failures of education in the district.h) Review and strengthen current Tertiary Education Subsidy Scheme to make it more effective.i) Review and strengthen tertiary education programme/curriculum with the view to making it more relevant and professionally competitive.j) Rationalise tertiary education especially the number of universities. Reduce the size of Office of Higher education and relocate it back in the Department of Educations.k) Review and implement the National Education Plan 2005 - 20014

8.2 Health

NGP recognizes the importance of a healthy population as the foundation for nation building. The NGP will introduce four basic disciplines in all of the district hospitals with services on a timely basis: (1) pediatrics (2) surgery (3) medicine (4) obstetrics/gynecology. It will:

a) Encourage family planning programmes to control population growth that the economy can sustain.b) Promote and provide appropriate resources for mobile health extension services in rural areas.c) Increase funding for preventable diseases including research and development as well as health promotion and prevention programmes.d) Increase funding and distribution of essential drugs and basic supplies.e) Improve the terms and conditions of health workers including the provision of specialized and qualified health workers.f) Improve training programs for cadres of health workersg) Promote and encourage health insurance policy to offset rising cost of heath care services.h) Review and improve the management and operations of public hospitals and district health services.

8.3 Sports and Recreation

The NGP will improve the opportunities for Papua New Guinea’s athletes to fully develop their physical and sporting abilities to the highest levels and for young Papua New Guinean’s to have enhanced recreational outlets. It will:

a) Provide adequate sporting facilities in all urban centers; ensure that potential sporting facilities are not diverted into industrial and commercial land.b) Encourage community sports involvement and participation.c) Review management and functions of existing sporting bodies to improve standards and promote professionalism in various sports to be internationally competitive.d) Provide adequate funding in the promotion and development of sports in the country.

8.4 Youth Development

The NGP will review and strengthen existing policies and programmes under the National Youth Services Commission to make them more responsive to youth development.

8.5 Churches and Non State Actors

a) Promote Christian values and provide adequate funding to support the work of Christian churches and Non-State Actors (NSAs).b) Support Churches and Snaps participation in the delivery of development services to the rural populace in line with government policy and programmes.

8.6 Settlements

Improve basic services to settlements including their rehabilitation and resettlement.

8.7 Housing

a) Address the shortage of housing issue and to ensure better and affordable housing for all citizens.b) Review the National Shelter Policy to encourage the home ownership schemes.c) Review the management and structure of National Housing Corporation to ensure that there is effective and efficient accountability.

9. HIV AND AIDS

NGP recognizes the profound effect of HIV and AIDS to the economy and the population. NGP will:

a) Review, strengthen and enforcement of legislation on HIV and AIDS to prevent its spread.b) Support various stakeholders in prevention and spread of HIV and AIDS in all sectors of the community including government instrumentalities.c) Review and strengthen the work of the National Aids Council to make it more effective.d) Encourage and support awareness programmes in the provinces and districts.e) Increase funding to support various stakeholders responsible for HIV and AIDS programmes and activities.f) Institute non-discrimination policy on all employment and other social settings.

10. GENDER EQUALITY

The NGP recognizes the importance of maintaining gender-balanced in society. It will:

a) Encourage gender balanced participation in development and promotion of justice in all areas.b) Promote and encourage women contributions to the economy, communities and welfare of families consistent with international commitments.c) Implement legal reforms and expand existing programme to ensure that men and women are treated equally and that abuses against women are punished with the full force of the law

11. LAW AND JUSTICE

NGP reaffirms that law and order is an important issue affecting the overall development efforts of the country. The NGP is committed to undertake major review to legislate necessary changes to address the law and order issue. The NGP will:

a) Immediately implement the recommendations of the Police Administrative Review Committee. Appoint a monitoring committee which will include members of Parliament, the private sector and civil society to ensure that satisfactory progress is made.b) Review management and structure of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary.c) Review the management, structure and infrastructure of Correctional Services including its policy and programmes. Encourage institutions to become self funding.d) Charge the Law and Justice Sectoral (Coordination) Committee to ensure that the whole sector is coordinated and made more effective, reduce investigation times and make timely prosecutions.e) Ensure that the sector receives adequate financial and manpower resources to be able carry out its work.f) Charge the Law and Justice Sectoral (Coordination) Committee to ensure that the whole sector is coordinated and made more effective, reduce investigation times and make timely prosecutions.g) Ensure that the sector receives adequate financial and manpower resources to be able carry out its work.

12. INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND TRADE

New Generation Party is committed to actively participate in regional and global affairs so that our international trade, investment and security interests are protected and to ensure that, the impact of globalization on our people and our nation are well managed.

Achievements

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